The Netherlands has gone further than most European countries in its response to escalating foreign interference - creating a dedicated police team and tightening its espionage legislation to cover a far broader range of activities than before.
The new unit is led by Youssef Ait Daoud, a veteran of the country's counterterrorism apparatus who described the initiative in an interview with Politico, as reported by "Hvylya".
Under the expanded law, passing information or objects to foreign governments is now a criminal offense even when the materials do not concern state secrets. The broader scope reflects the evolving nature of espionage, where foreign states increasingly target non-classified information and infrastructure.
Ait Daoud said the unit's existence alone may serve as a deterrent. Foreign governments may think twice before meddling "because now there may be an entire team working to stop you," he said.
For security reasons, he declined to reveal the size of the team, saying only that it includes a dedicated cyber unit. Fighting foreign interference, he added, is fundamentally different from counterterrorism work.
"If someone wants to commit a terrorist act, they usually are ideologically motivated," he said. "They move around in those circles, talk a certain way, are looking for explosives or firearms. All of that is visible." Intelligence operations, by contrast, unfold in a "gray zone between war and peace" - much of it on platforms like Telegram.
Previously: "Disposable Agents": How Telegram Became the Kremlin's Recruitment Tool for European Sabotage.